The Miseducation of Cameron Post

I recently watched The Miseducation of Cameron Post at the State Theatre earlier this month, and it helped me realize the importance of representation.

Based on the 2012 novel by Emily Danforth, the film chronicles the story of a teenage girl forced into conversion therapy after being caught with a her female friend on prom night. The main character, Cameron, has a hard time adjusting to the strict camp, whose directors enforce intolerant ideals, one such ideal being that homosexuality can be cured. However, Cameron finds solidarity amongst the other teenage “sinners” and they are able to have each other in times of crisis.

Although the film was only 90 minutes, and focused on only one part of the novel, I still found it to be powerful. The coming-of-age story features a bright young cast and moments of raw honesty, whether it be a funny joke or dark violence. The cast also features several actors of color, and of course centers on an issue faced by the LGBT+ community. It was enlightening to see this movie and actors representing pressing issues. For adolescents, I believe it is especially important to see stories in which people like you are represented.

I would strongly recommend people to watch The Miseducation of Cameron Post, best viewed with close friends. I hope the future of storytelling in film continues to emphasize representation in order to raise awareness of significant societal challenges and identities.